February 20, 2009

SPICE CAKE with CARAMEL FROSTING

Spice Cupcakes with Penuche Frosting RecipeThe recipe for this Spice Cake is so easy, I can throw it together and get it in the oven in less than 15 minutes! In fact, the batter was in the pan before the oven was up to temperature! The brown sugar Penuche Frosting is so smooth it melts on your tongue, and sweet enough to set off the allspice, cinnamon and cloves in the Spice Cake. Together, they're a perfect match!

Penuche or Caramel Frosting?Some people call it Penuche Frosting, and others think of it more as Caramel Frosting, but they're really one and the same recipe. It's not quite a buttercream, as the butter is melted and boiled with the brown sugar to give it that most delightful flavor of Grandma's caramel!

Dairy-Free Cake Recipe - Egg-Free Cake RecipeThis dairy-free cake mix truly is dairy-free and egg-free! The Spice Cake is made with cornstarch, vinegar and baking soda, which I suspect is how it rises and tastes so darned good and rich! And even though I made the Penuche or Caramel Frosting with butter and milk, you could make the whole cake vegan by substituting margarine - vegetable or soy - and soy milk or water for the dairy products. Your choice! Either way, it'll cut down on some of the fat and cholesterol!

Calories? What Calories?Now, I never said this Spice Cake with Penuche Frosting was fat-free or low calorie. But, I once heard a rumor that went something like this, "If you eat the Spice Cake standing up, there are no calories in it!" Yup! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!